Penang: Penang Pakatan Harapan (PH) is striving to increase the number of women candidates in the next state election, but identifying enough suitable and willing candidates remains a significant challenge, stated its chairman Chow Kon Yeow.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Chow emphasized that Penang PH is committed to achieving at least 30 percent women's participation in politics and decision-making. However, the coalition continues to grapple with the difficulty of finding enough qualified women who are willing to contest.

Chow remarked, "That is certainly our aspiration. In every election, we will field women candidates, but the actual number will depend on whether there are enough suitable and willing candidates." He acknowledged that while the aspiration for more female candidates is strong, the primary issue lies in having enough candidates to choose from, a matter that needs addressing.

As both the Penang Chief Minister and a strong advocate for women's participation in politics, Chow noted that although women have made significant advancements in fields such as education, business, engineering, and public service, their political participation still faces unique challenges.

Penang PH has been proactive in supporting the 30 percent target, yet relatively few women are stepping forward during the candidate selection process due to the pressures and challenges associated with political involvement.

In his earlier speech at the World Women Economic and Business Summit 2026, Chow highlighted that Malaysia's target of 30 percent women's representation in politics, introduced in 2009, remains unachieved, with women currently making up only 13.5 percent of Members of Parliament and 12 percent of state assemblypersons nationwide.

Chow called for renewed commitment and concrete action to close this gap, suggesting that political parties should institutionalize the 30 percent target in their candidate selection processes. Furthermore, he advocated for equal representation of women on decision-making committees and the enhancement of resources and mentoring for emerging women leaders.